Data obtained in 18 subjects with chronic bronchial asthma studied over the past year suggest that real acupuncture administered twice weekly for 4-5 weeks has a more favorable effect on asthma than either no acupuncture or simulated (placebo) acupuncture administered over the same time period. Acute studies conducted in 12 subjects with bronchial asthma in whom bronchospasm was experimentally induced by methacholine- inhalation suggest that traditional Chinese acupuncture has a beneficial therapeutic effect in relieving bronchospasm and that the effect is not due to a placebo phenomenon. During the coming year, acute and chronic effects of traditional acupuncture will be compared with no acupuncture and placebo acupuncture in 18 additional subjects with bronchial asthma using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, random cross-over design. Subjective and objective measurements of improvement will include daily diaries of symptoms and medication use, physical findings, pulse, respirations, blood pressure and pulmonary function tests, including spirometry and whole-body plethysmography. Tests of personality (MMPI), mood states (Adjective Check List) and hypnotizability (Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale) will also be performed. In addition, the acute effects of real acupuncture will be compared with placebo, no acupuncture, nebulized saline and isoproterenol following experimental induction of acute bronchospasm in 12 additional asthmatic subjects by inhalation of histamine phosphate. These data may provide information from which valid conclusions may be drawn regarding the effectiveness of traditional acupuncture in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Bibliographic references: Tashkin, D.P., Shapiro, B.J., and Frank, I.M. Acute effects of smoked marijuana and oral delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on specific airway conductance in asthmatic subjects. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis. 109: 420, 1974.